Tanzania Health minister recounts her ordeal during Covid-19 fight

Dar es Salaam. Health minister Ummy Mwalimu said on Thursday, 21 May 2020 that the fight against Covid-19 has been the most challenging part of her ministerial career.

“Some people say they could not see you [President John Magufuli] but you were always there for me. You gave me direction time and again. In short, this has been the most challenging part of my time as a minister,” she said.

Ms Mwalimu was speaking at the State House in Dodoma during an event where President Magufuli was swearing-in Tanzania’s ambassadors to Kenya, Algeria and Mozambique and the Health deputy minister Godwin Mollel.

She said before the number of the Covid-19 patients started dropping in Tanzania, the government reached a point whereby it was contemplating to set aside the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair grounds as a facility to accommodate 1,000 patients.

“But that is no longer important because the numbers have dropped significantly. I don’t want to reveal the numbers here but you helped us with the numbers in your speech the previous day and I thank you for that,” she said.

Speaking during a Sunday Service at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania at his Chato hometown on Sunday, May 17, 2020, President Magufuli said the number of Covid-19 cases in the country has dropped significantly.

“The figures in my hand show that at Amana Hospital, the number of Covid-19 patients had gone down from 198 to only 12,” he said.

The Muhimbili National Hospital used to accommodate 30 inpatients at its Mloganzila Hospital Centre but the number has since gone down to only six.

At Kibaha, said President Magufuli, there is a centre called Lulanzi. At the pick of the pandemic, there were over 50 inpatients at Lulanzi but as of May 17, the number has gone down to only 22.

The names of private hospitals and number of patients in brackets, according to President Magufuli, include: Aga Khan Hospital (31), Hindu Mandal (16), Regency (17), TMJ (7), Rabinsia (14).

He said in Arusha, the government had set aside three centres which currently has a total of 11 inpatients only.

In Mwanza, there were a total of 10 centres which had a total of six inpatients only as of Sunday, May 17, 2020.

Dodoma has a total of four centres. During the pick of the pandemic, there were a total of 40 inpatients across the centres but all - except two - have been treated and allowed to rejoin their relatives back home.